Electromagnetically actuated valve



May 12, 1953 J. B. PARSONS 2,638,125

ELECTROMAGNETICALLY ACTUATED VALVE Filed July 17, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR. 4 Jo/m 5. Parsons J mmi ATTORNEY y 1953 J. B. PARSONS2,638,125

ELECTROMAGNETICALLY ACTUATED VALVE Filed July 17, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2if fsfl.

b J 24 32 g:

INVENTOR. dob/7 [7. Parsons Wm wQQP ATTORNEY Patented May 12, 1953ELECTROMAGNETICALLY ACTUATED VALVE John B. Parsons, Maumee, OhioApplication July 17, 1950, Serial No. 174,282

1 Claim.

This invention relates to asolenoid controlled valve unit andconstitutes an improvement on my Patent 2,479,398, dated August 16,1949.

An object is to produce an assembly of the above character in which amore reliable and efficient seal is achieved between the cylinder orhousing and the solenoid controlled valve unit and in which provision.is made for militating against injury to the solenoid winding during theassembly operation and to utilize a sleeve which may be of ferrous ornon-ferrous metal and which is assembled and associated with other partsin a new and improved manner.

Another object is to produce a simple and efficient solenoid controlledvalve unit assembly having the new and improved features of arrangement,of assembly and of structurehereinafter described, enabling thestructure to be produced economically on aproduction basis andsubstantially prolonging its useful life.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear,and for purposes of illustration but not oflimitation, embodiments ofthe invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a piston and cylinderassembly embodying a solenoid controlled valve;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the tube or sleeve,end fitting for same, and washer-like members rigidly secured to theoutside of the sleeve;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary lower end elevation of the assembly takensubstantially on the line 3--3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a top perspective view of the plug fitting the upper orinner end of the sleeve:

Figure 5 is a bottom end elevation of the as sembly shown on Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of a piston and cylinderassembly having a solenoid controlled valve unit and showing a modifiedform; and

Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of a piston and cylinderassembly with a solenoid con trolled valve unit therein and in which thevalve seats in a reverse manner such that pressure within the cylinderexceeding a predetermined maximum is able to unseat the valve. Thus thevalve serves as a pressure release.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises an elongatemetallic cylinder H] of relatively thin-Walled structure having endportions H and [2 of slightly greater diameter for the reception ofclosures secured therein by crimping the metal ends over abuttingannular edge portions of an apertured disc l3, and a flanged cup-shapedmember l4 forming the upper closure and an apertured closure disc I5forming the bottom closure, the latter being notched for wire clearanceas will hereinafter appear. The disc l3 which seats against the uppershoulder 16 is apertured at its center l3a to afiord sliding movement ofa piston rod H. A sleeve [B of feltlike packing material bears tightlyagainst the enclosed portion of the piston rod ll, a rubber washer I 9being interposed betweenthe lower end of the sleeve l8 and the disc l3.This arrangement enables the venting of air from the inside of thecylinder it but militates against the ingress of air from the outside tothe cylinder, and such structure and arrangement is more fully shown,described and claimed in my co-pending application Serial No. 36,977.filed July 3, 1948, and entitled Sealing Device for Piston and CylinderAssemblies.

Attached to the inner end of the piston rod I! is a piston 20 andarranged within the cylinder l0 and below the piston 20 is a solenoidcontrolled valve unit 2 l, the same having a connecting lead 22 and agrounding lead 23. The unit 2| includes an elongate tube or sleeve itwhich is relatively thin-walled and may be of steel or a suiablenon-ferrous metal such as brass. The sleeve 26 has a portion extendirrwell inside of the cylinder ill and another portion extending outside ofthe cylinder.

Mounted on the sleeve 24 adjacent the inner end are washer-like ,members25 and 26, the member 25 being of slightly less diameter than thediameter of the cylinder to and the member 25 being of substantiallyless diameter than that of the member 25. The washer-like member 25 hasan inwardly extending integral flange 21 which bears against the outsideof the sleeve 24 and is secured thereto, in a leak-proof or fluid tightmanner as well as rigidly, by hydrogen brazing. The member 25 abutsagainst the inner end of the flange 2'! and in the form shown islikewise rigidly fixed by brazing to the sleeve 24. The space betweenthe washer-like members 25 and 25 receives a rubber-dike washer 28 whichbears against the outer surface of the flange 2! and in liquid sea-lingcontact with the inner wall of the cylinder ill. The reduced diameter ofthe washer-like member 26 enables the rubber washer 28 to be stretchedover it and snapped into the space between these two members' Thissimplifies the asembly of these parts.

Spaced from the flanged washer member 25 and as above mentioned, formingthe lower end closure for the cylinder I ii is the washerdike member l5which is provided with an integral flange 29 extending outwardlyrelative to the cylinder l0,

such flange also being rigidly secured to the sleeve 24 as by hydrogenbrazing. The member [5 has a notch 30 to accommodate the lead 22 and anaperture 32 through which the ground lead 23 extends. Interposed betweenthe washer-like members 25 and i5 are solenoid windings 32. Manifestly,by rigidly securing the members it and 25 to the sleeve, the liabilityof the windings being crushed or otherwise damaged by" forcing one ofthese members toward the other during the assembly operation, iseliminated.

Having a press fit in the upper or inner end portion of the sleeve 2A.is an externally knurled plug 33 which. has shouldered passage 3]?extending therethrough. The sleeve 33 is slightly tapered, the lower endbeing of slightly less diameter to facilitate the pressing of the plugwithin the sleeve. The knurl of the plug assists in retaining it insideof the sleeve.

Seated within the plug 33 is a helically. coiled spring 38, the oppositeend of which bears against a reciprocable tubular valve member 3'5:formed with a crhnped-in rubber sealing nose 3b.. which is adapted toclose a small port it leadir from a lateral liquid passage it formed ina lit-t lg ii which may be hydrogen brazed to the outwardly projectingend portion cit-he sleeve this to do a rigid, fluid-tight joint with thesleeve. in operation, when the solenoid is energized, the reciprocableor slidablc valve member 3'2 is drawn-upwardly, further compressing thespring and withdrawing the rubber nose ii-l from the L port 35;:permitting the passage of liquid into or from the cylinder, eitheradmitting liquid under pressure for forcing the piston upwardly or toenable the piston to move downwardly for'forcing liquidfrom thecylinder.

As to the purpose or the above described piston and; cylinder assembly,the same is particularly ada ted for use in connection withhydraulically operated vehicle window regulators and the like. Ininstances, the piston-rod ll may be connected through suitable linkageto the lower edge portion of the window panel. The tube, a portion ofwhich is shown connected to the liquid passage to in the fitting 5!,leads to an electric motor driven pump (not shown). motor is energized,liquid isforced from a reservoir (not shown) past the valve 38, thesolenoid 32' having been, simultaneously energized to un' seat thevalve, compressingthe coil. spring 36. Thus liquid under pressure isintroduced to the cylinder tilt-c force the piston 28 in an upwarddirection. On; the other hand, when it is desired to lower the vehiclewindow, for example, a coil spring (not shown) and which forms a part ofthe regulator mechanism and which has been placed 1 under tensionduring; the raising of the window, pulls the window downwardly, At thattime, the solenoid 32' alone is energized, unseating the valve 38; andthe piston it forces the liquid from the cylinder back to i'rsreservoirto be available for the next operation.

In order to fully understand this operation, it he mentioned thatassociated with the motor driven pump isa valve (not. shown) which whenthe motor operates, is unseated to allow liquid flow but. when pun pstops, the valve is. so positioned as to, enable liquid from thecylinder to into the reservoir.

Figure 6 illustrates a modified form in which thepcrted plug 3.3a is.retained in position by a, t5 whichextends. through the walls. of theelongatesleeve Me as well as the plug 33a with end portions extending onopposite sides of the ve toserve as astop for retaining the Washerlike.member Quail-om coming loose. In this instance, thev washer 243aembraces the sleeve 24a, and; as shown,,i s.hydrogen; brazed tothesleeve to secure a. fiuid-tight joint.

From the above description, it will be. apparent that the sealing washer23, can be readily applied into, position of the use and its positionmaintained. with respect to. the adjacent washers. The use of a steelsleeve, for'exarnple, is important in that it militatesagainstelectrolysis within the cy inder which r t ore ha een, o nd; to be Whensuch objectionable in the case of a die. castsleeve, for example,because within a relatively short period of time, the inner end of thesleeve disintegrates or becomes so weakened as to interfere with theefficient operation of the assembly. The novel manner in which thefitting is applied facilitates assembly and enables, more readily,access to the partsior inspection or the like.

The form of the invention shown on Figure '7 somewhat resembles that ofFigure 6 except in this. instance the valve 31b having a rubber sealingnose 3% is urged upwardly by a coil spring 362 against a seat on aported plug 331) which is held in place by a pin 45 passing through theWalls of an elongate sleeve 24b and the plug 33b. The plug 331) has aperipheral groove in which fits a rubber 0 ring it to provide a fluidtight seal between the plug and the inner walls of the sleeve 2th. Theopposite end of the coil spring 351) seats in a socket in a fitting Mbwhich extends inside of the cylinder, receives a portion of the solenoidcoil 3% and the flange of the washer-like member I56. The inner end ofthe fitting MD is shouldered to receive the sleeve 24b.

The above arrangement is such that when the fluid pressure within thecylinder exceeds a predetermined maximum as determined by the coilspring 3612, it will force the rubbernose 38b away from its seat,thereby to relieve the pressure from the'inside of the cylinder. Ijhusthe valve serves as a pressure release valve as well as a valve tocontrol the ingress of liquid to and from the cylinder.

It is, to be understood that numerous changes in details ofconstruction, arrangement and operation may be effected withoutdeparture from the spirit of the invention especially-as defined in theappended claim.

What I claim. is:

A device of the class described comprising a housing, a solenoidcontrolled valve assembly within the housing including a unitary devicehaving an elongate sleeve of substantially less diameter than thehousing, a pair ofwasherlike members embracing the innerend portion ofthe sleeve, an integral flange on the outer Washerr-like memberembracing the sleeve and against which the other member abuts therebypositively to space one member from the other, a fluid tight weld-edconnection between said flange and said sleeve, a rubber-like sealingmeans between said w fiber-like members in sealing engagement with 1cwe. 5 of the housing means to retain the inwasher-like member on thesleeve and against said flange, a third washer-like memberembracing saidsleeve and closing the adjacent end of said housing, an integralflangeon said third member embracing the sleeve, a solenoid coil on saidsleeve and interposed between said first washer-like member and saidthird member, a spring tensioned reciprocable valve within said sleeve,a ported fitting secured to the outer end of said sleeve, and a rigidfluid tight welded connection between said sleeve and fitting.

JOHN B. PARSONS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

